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TOP SEED WINS: Teenagers Davis-Tomljanovic Stage Marathon Dow Corning Final

Unseeded East European Duo Czink-Lucic-Baroni Take Doubles Crown

February 11, 2013       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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World No. 90 Lauren Davis, 19, shows grit in hotly-contested singles final at Dow Corning Tennis Classic.
 
Doubles winners, at left, Melinda Czink of Hungary and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia, pose with runnersup - the Brazilian-British team of Maria-Fernanda Alves and Samantha Murray.

It was no surprise, but it wasn't an easy win for top seed Lauren Davis.

What was surprising was that the finalists both were teenagers, and frequent tennis practice pals.

Fighting off aches and pains, No. 1 seed Lauren Davis of the US won a third-set tiebreaker over unseeded Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia on Sunday at the Dow Corning Tennis Classic at the Midland Community Tennis Center.

Davis constructed long, wearing ground-stroke rallies that eventually took a toll on the lanky Croatian, who was nearly as steady as the American. The only chink in Davis' armor seemed to be drop-shots, as Tomljanovic scored on half a dozen that the Ohioan couldn't reach.

An upset appeared in the making when Tomljanovic won the second set and Davis struggled with apparent physical woes. However, Davis dug in and scrambled to a third set tiebreaker. Lady Luck was with her as a fortunate net cord dribbled over, saving her from a break at 4-4 that would have been devastating.

The unseeded pairing of Eastern European stars Melinda Czink of Hungary and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia prevailed in the doubles final 5-7, 6-4 10-7.

A tournament first was that play on the Meredith McGrath Stadium Court was available for viewing streaming live on the Internet.

McCarton Ackerman, news director and shot-by-shot announcer of the tourney, filed the following wrap-up report with MyBayCity.com:

"The hallmark 25th anniversary of the Dow Corning Tennis Classic at the Midland Community Tennis Center concluded on Sunday with two marathon matches in the singles and doubles finals.

"In a match that took well over two hours, Davis took the title with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2) win over Tomljanovic. The teenagers are no strangers to each other, having practiced together many times at the Evert Tennis Academy in Florida.

"Tomljanovic struggled to find the range on her shots early on in the match, allowing Davis to comfortably take the opening set. The wear and tear on the American's body after numerous long matches this week began to show in the second set as Tomljanovic reeled off five consecutive games on her way to the second set.

"'After the first set, my energy level went down,' said Davis. 'But if you want something bad enough, you've got to find the energy.'

"Things looked bleak for Davis in the final set as she went down 2-0 to the Croatian. But as she has done all week, the No. 1 seed showed remarkable resistance in clawing her way back into the match. She fought off break points on her serve at 4-4 and 5-5 to help bring the match into a tiebreaker and saved her best tennis for the end.

As she continued to track down balls that would be winners again "Tomljanovic began to overhit on her forehand. Winning the first four points of the tiebreaker, Davis rode the momentum the rest of the way and converted on her second match point.

Davis, currently ranked No. 90, had never won a title at the $100,000 level before. She is projected to rise to around No. 75 in the rankings.

"I have so many dreams and so many visions, and this is part of it," said Davis. "It's another step to where I want to go."

"In the doubles final, Melinda Czink and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni rallied from a set down to defeat the Brazilian-British team of Maria-Fernanda Alves and Samantha Murray 5-7, 6-4, 10-7.

"'I've had such a great week here,' said Czink. 'Some of the WTA tournaments should come here and see how you guys run this because it really is a great tournament.'

The Dow Corning Tennis Classic has completed its 25th year on the USTA Pro Circuit, making it the longest-running women's event on the USTA Pro Circuit. Several former competitors at the event have gone on to win Grand Slam titles and reach the top 10 in the rankings. Past competitors include seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and Olympic gold medalist Justine Henin, three-time Grand Slam singles champion Maria Sharapova, two-time Grand Slam singles champion Mary Pierce, 2011 French Open singles champion Na Li, 2010 French Open singles champion Francesca Schiavone, and two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Anna Kournikova.

ABOUT THE USTA PRO CIRCUIT

With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals.

The USTA launched its Pro Circuit 34 years ago to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide.

Mardy Fish, Maria Sharapova, John Isner, Caroline Wozniacki, Sam Querrey, Li Na and Andy Murray are among today's top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit. The USTA Pro Circuit is world-class tennis administered on the local level and played on local tennis courts as part of the fabric of communities nationwide -- an opportunity for current and new fans to experience the excitement and intensity of the professional game in their neighborhood. ###

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Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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